Fall plantings are significant for your garden since the warm soil encourages root growth until the ground freezes. The roots are well established by early spring versus a plant just getting started in the spring. Also, in fall, unsold annuals go on sale.
A fall flower garden gives rise to yellow, orange, and red displays, making for an eye-catching landscape. Fall annuals and perennials are great ways to embellish your yard, especially if you have deciduous trees like Maples or Oaks.
Although each plant's needs may vary and some will be more winter-hardy than others, in general about a month before the last fall frost is sufficient in giving the plant enough time to establish itself and take root.
Amend the Soil
Don't fertilize too heavily in the fall, as you don't want to encourage a ton of plant growth when the weather cools. However, it is the perfect time to add an organic compost mix that will break down slowly over the winter months and give you rich dirt to plant with next spring.
Gardening in the fall provides a longer period with more 'good' days, as compared to the often tumultuous spring season. Plus, if you plant in fall you'll end up ahead of the game and won't have to rush to get everything done after winter. In fact, a good strategy is to plant perennials when you plant your fall bulbs.
For starters, spring-blooming bulbs should be planted in fall. Trust us: You'll be glad you planned ahead when you see them pop up after a long, dark winter! Get them in the ground any time before the ground freezes, which is from October to mid-December, depending on where you live.
October is the season to plant spring-blooming bulbs, wildflowers, and many standard gardening favorites. The flowers that don't blossom this winter can spend the cold season in the ground, strengthening their root systems in preparation for a springtime bloom.
Late summer or early fall is an excellent time to plant mums, one of the symbolic flowers of the season. Practically any time in September that strikes your fancy is a good bet, so long as it's at least six weeks before the year's first frost.
Grow an Edible Garden With Fall Vegetables
For a cool-weather vegetable harvest, plant lettuce, collards, carrots, Brussel sprouts, spinach, broccoli, radish, and more. The general rule of thumb is to plant fall vegetables from seed 90 days before the first frost.
Even hardier vegetables that can survive temperatures as low as 20˚F include cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, kale, leeks, rutabagas and turnips. Upon thawing out, these hardy vegetables will continue to grow between freezes!
For the plants, fall is a fine time for a flower-bed makeover. Cooler temperatures slow water loss from leaves, so plants can better tolerate being ripped out of the ground and roughed up before having their roots nestled back into dirt.
Fall is a great time to plant another crop of spring greens such as spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard greens, and mâche because they require cooler soil for seed germination and they mature quickly.
The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.
Think about ways to add color and draw beneficial insects to your fall gardens. Consider planting nasturtiums, marigolds, asters, cosmos, mums, and anemones. Plan out your fall pots and planters. Summer blooms are fading, but there are many opportunities to add color and visual interest to your landscape.
Plant wallflowers, forget-me-not, Bellis, Primula, Viola (including winter pansies) and other spring bedding plants in prepared ground or pots.
Plant Flowers and Vegetables
If you live in a frost-free region, October is a great time to plant cool-weather flowers and vegetables in your garden. Crops such as kale, cabbage, collards, lettuce, carrots, mustard, onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, and garlic can all be planted in early to late October.
It's true! Planting perennials in the fall is an easy way to enjoy a bigger, more beautiful garden the following year. While most gardeners are more accustomed to planting in spring, fall is also an ideal time to get perennials established in your garden.
What to add? Compost, raw organic matter, and organic nutrients. Autumn is a good time to improve your soil by adding raw organic matter, such as shredded leaves.
Fall and winter gardens produce some of our favorite fruits and vegetables: kale, cauliflower, peas, carrots, lettuce, beets, onions, and broccoli, just to name a few! To boot, these plants tend to be some of the easiest to grow, making fall and winter gardens excellent for the beginning gardener.